The newly-established Land Development Agency is to take control of two council-owned sites in Fingal with the aim of delivering at least 800 new homes.

Some 200 of those are to be delivered at Hacketstown in Skerries and the rest at Hampton in Balbriggan.

These landbanks were already earmarked for development but the method of delivering the homes will change under the control of the Land Development Agency.

Fine Gael TD for Dublin Fingal, Alan Farrell welcomed the move, saying: The Land Development Agency will take control of these sites, and develop plans to deliver at least 600 residential homes on the Hacketstown site, with a further 200 to be delivered on the Hampton site. It is important to note, however, that this will be subject to the full public consultation process.

'In both Hacketstown and Hampton, 10% of the houses delivered will be utilised for social housing, while a minimum of 30% must be delivered as affordable homes. It is vital that the number of social and affordable houses on our local communities is increased, and I am pleased to see plans coming forward for significant affordable housing delivery in the North County.'

Local councillor, Tom O'Leary welcomed the move as did, Senator James Reilly who said these two sites would be key priorities for the Land Development Agency to 'deliver new homes for the people of Fingal'.

He also welcomed the mixed tenure nature of the developments and the fact that developers will mandated to provide 30% affordable housing and 10% social housing on each of the land banks.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy signed the new agency into law last wee, by Statutory Instrument, with a chief and management team already in place.

According to the Government, the agency has an initial pipeline of State land which is capable of delivering 10,000 homes, with 3,000 of those homes on lands which have already been secured. .

The LDA is modelled on best systems already operating in Germany and the Netherlands.